49ers sign CB Carlos Rogers to one-year deal

The 49ers’ deliberate approach to free agency has finally delivered a top-end position player as San Francisco signed former Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers to a one-year contract late Tuesday night, according to CSN Bay Area.

The signing fills an area of extreme need for the Niners, who released Nate Clements, likely their best cornerback, last week. Clements’ departure left Shawntae Spencer as the only cornerback on the roster with more than five career starts.

Enter Rogers, 30, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2005 draft who was viewed as the the top remaining cornerback on the free-agent market after big prizes such as Nnamdi Asomugha, Johnathan Joseph and Antonio Cromartie had been signed.

Rogers (6-0, 189), known as a physical corner with shaky hands, has 73 passes defended and eight interceptions in six seasons. In 2010, he had 54 tackles, 12 passes defended and two interceptions in 12 starts, missing four games with a hamstring injury. Rogers missed the final nine games of the 2007 season with a torn ACL.

Rogers won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back, as a senior at Auburn in 2004. Niners general manager Trent Baalke was the Redskins college scouting coordinator when Washington selected Rogers in the first round of the 2005 draft.